Work

Father Hardon was a very prominent member of the Jesuit
community, which is known for its academic rigor, and wrote dozens
of books on religion and theology, including: The Catholic
Catechism (1975), a defining volume of Catholic orthodoxy;
and the Modern Catholic Dictionary[3](1980),
the first major Catholic reference dictionary published after the
Second Vatican Council
(1962-1965). Hardon was also a major contributor to Catholic
newspapers and magazines and was executive editor of The
Catholic Faith magazine. Hardon had a close working
relationship with Pope
Paul VI, engaging in several initiatives at the Pope's request,
including his authoring of The Catholic Catechism.

Father Hardon's Catholic Catechism was a significant
post–Vatican II work in the sense
that it essentially brought modern Catholic teaching and faith into
one book, unlike any other before, and was a precursor to the
Catechism of the Catholic
Church, which is the official codified teaching of the
Catholic Church, promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1992. Hardon
served as a consultant for the drafting of that document.

Possible
beatification

Father Hardon died in Clarkston, Michigan, on December
30, 2000, after suffering from several illnesses. Having been known
throughout his life as a holy man, there is interest among some
Catholics for his beatification and a Church-sanctioned
prayer for that cause has been written. According to Church law,
Father Hardon could have his cause for beatification opened by the
Church as early as December 30, 2005. If that happens it would
place him on the path towards possible sainthood. An effort is
underway to establish a Father Hardon library and study center at
the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La
Crosse, Wisconsin.